May 6, 2012
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Colorado Trail
Last year my husband and I took a 6 week summer trip along the east coast and visited the Appalachian Trail. We only day hiked the trail, the entire trip was spent camping in different areas of the country and we weren’t prepared for any backpacking, but we decided to hike the entire route – a couple weeks a year.
This year while planning our summer, we realized we have our own amazing trail here, the Colorado Trail. It is 500 miles long and takes 4 to 6 weeks to hike in its entirety. Right now we are only planning 2 weeks this year, but that could change.
The trail is a multi-use trail and is also used for bikers and people on horseback. It’s inception was in 1973 by Bill Lucas as a bi-centennial project. The trail runs from Denver to Durango, with much of the elevation above the timberline. It was called “The Trail to Nowhere” in an article in the Denver Post in 1984 (http://www.coloradotrail.org/trail_to_nowhere.html) and was built with grants and volunteers.
We are planning to start the second week in July. I have been having fun reading books about backpacking and trying to get into shape hiking. There are multiple stopping places for showers and to buy more food and wash clothes. Much of the elevation is above timerline, so I am still trying to figure out how we are going to store food safely away from bears. I have a lot of research to do before we go.
When we complete this trail we will go back to the Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian was beautifully green and lush and I have always wanted to hike that one, but I want to see the one closer to home first. I think if I can survive this one, the lower elevation of the Appalachians will be like “A Walk in the Woods”. (I loved that book!)
I love summer, and try to fit as much fun and outdoors rec as I can in during the warmer months. I am not a skier, so the snow doesn’t make me as giddy as it does so many other Colorado folks.
If we make it back without being eaten by bears, I am sure I will post about it so much you will all be sick to death of hearing about it.
Comments (47)
I hiked the Appalachian Trail with my fiancée, part of it, anyway. She studied a book I got her, “How to Shit in the Woods.” She memorized each chapter and became an expert.
I can fill you in on the portion that runs through the San Juans in SW Colo. I spent a some summers working on it.
You might pick up a copy of Backpacking: One Step At A Time. Once upon a time I recommended it to everyone who thought he/she/they might want to accompany me on my adventures. It looks like the last update was in ’86… some of the bits about gear selection might be obsolete but the concepts will still be valid.
From every article I read, you have to have it off the ground (the food) in the air. Good luck and I am looking forward to the photos…
i hiked part of the ap trail with my cousin. it started as only a weekend camping trip in the shenandoah national park but we met some hikers that were going south to north and we then decided to go south from where we were. we ended up in georgia and then hitched back to get his car. what took us a couple of weeks to do, only took us a couple of days to get back to where we started.
while in high school (i lived in colorado springs) i help a friend and his dad do some survey work and scouting for the continental divided trail that runs through colorado.
i hope you have a great time
@we_deny_everything -i love that book. read it many years ago.
I have read about the CT, and would like to do a thru hike one of these years. I also read about bears in Boulder. You might want to get bear bells in town, before July.
I’m an avid walker/hiker and a wanna be backpacker, so this post got me really excited. Haha. I’m even more excited that people have posted about reading material / books, because I’ve got a lot too learn before I start backpacking… I’ll definitely look into these books.
Good luck. Hope you have fun!
when i was little my family was picnicking when a bear came out of the woods headed in the direction of our food and by association, us. we ran to the car but my grandmother had prepared all the food and wasn’t about to watch a bear eat it. while everyone in my family yelled at her to get to the car she headed toward the bear, shewing it away with her apron. the bear stood up on it’s hind legs for a moment looking at my grandmother, then turned and disappeared back into the woods haha. personally it’s not something i’d recommend doing.
the Colorado Trail must be awesome. in my teens my friends and i hiked the Appalachian Trail in spurts between Bear Mountain, NY and the Presidential Range in New Hampshire.
@we_deny_everything - I will have to pick that up! I read that it takes between five and seven months to through hike it, I can’t imagine having that much time or desire to hike it all at once. How long were you out there? I think we planned to do it four weeks at a time, but we will see how this summer goes first
@ThereWillBeDragons - It doesn’t surprise me that you have worked on it! I may text you and ask you all about it!
@HappierHeathen - I will have to check that one out. Anyone who wanted to go with you had to read it? Haha, I wouldn’t want to try to tag along with you unprepared!
@Zoz36 - Thanks!
@buddy71 - You did that in high school?!? Your mother must have been a nervous wreck!
@RighteousBruin - That poor bear was just checking out the campus wildlife! I did feel bad about what happened though! Bear bells aren’t a bad idea at all!
I don’t think I would want to do a through hike. I doubt I would enjoy it for more than a few weeks at a time, I would miss my couch and bubble bath. We will see, I could be wrong. We are planning 2 weeks at a time here and 4 on the Appalachian Trail, so I will let you know how much I can do and still enjoy it!
@SarahC0828 - Thanks, and I hope you get to do a little backpacking too! I have wanted to do the Appalachian since reading Bill Bryson in a Walk in the Woods and I am excited to read the other stuff people have posted.
@TheSutraDude - Your grandma was a lot braver than I would have been! Yogi can have my picnic basket if he likes! I hope someday I will get to hike all the way up and see the NY portion of the trail, too.
@BoulderChristina - the ap trail was the summer after i grad high school and my parents moved from colorado to virginia. i did a lot of things that i am sure concerned my parents a bit, but they never stopped me. i have climbed 1/2 the peaks in colorado that are over 14,000. kayaked several rivers. skied ever where and did a lot of hikes during summer and winter. but there are many things i have done that my parents will never know that i am sure would scare the shit out of them. well at least my mom since my dad died in ’85.
@SarahC0828 - that is why i got llamas. to pack with since i did a lot of hiking etc.
@buddy71 - This doesn’t surprise me about you at all, I knew there was a wild man in you.
I don’t think I want to know half the things my kids have done, either, now that I think about it!
@BoulderChristina - as an only child, i had to keep myself occupied. lol i hopped a freight train that went near my house in colorado springs, when i was in jr high and rode it east to a town called calhan and then back. lol
@BoulderChristina - haha. even Boo Boo can have mine. well…he’s so cute anyway. the NY stretch is lovely New Hampshire, the Franconia Ridge and the Presidential Range is magnificent. i never got to Maine. we bedded down in pine forests. soft beds of pine needles and the smell of pine. i once read there is a chemical in the scent of pine that soothes the nervous system. if that’s true which it is from personal experience i suspect it was the basis for the tradition of bringing pine into the home to give a sense of peace which was later incorporated into Christianity, the Christmas tree,
this is something I would love to do. both trails. I have a friend who is leaving this summer to walk the whole Appalachian Trail.
Never been there but I love hiking and can’t wait to do some in Sao Paolo sometime this year.
It looks awesome. I wish we have similar trail here.
@TheSutraDude - I completely believe the pine scent thing. I never feel as safe, peaceful or calm as I do when I am walking where there is a scent of moist pine..
@plantinthewindow - An through hike? Yikes! That takes 5 to 7 months, they must really like hiking!
I don’t know if I will ever like it enough to want to do a through hike, I still like hot showers too much!
@reckless_eagle - Sao Pao?? Where is that?
@Xcite_Media - I am excited! Where do you live?
I lasted two days on the AT. I also lost four toenails in the process. (I didn’t realise you musn’t wear heels while hiking.) I should post the pics of my joys of hiking. (I salute the camera quite often.) I especially loved bunking with strangers in the rain while rats scurried over us. Then again, I think I gained some muscle mass carrying 20 lbs. of water bottles on my back all the live-long day.
With that said, have fun! I’m positive that it will be a blast! (I would join you, but I would need to cart around 20 lbs. of alcohol to make it.)
Wow that must be awesome. I have never tried and don’t know if I have the stommache for it.
That would be so much fun! Hiking a trail for several weeks!
But man. I am SO out of shape that I would die after the first mile…or less!
EEP!
But if it was something that was planned a year in advance. I would totally whip my ass into shape!! LOL
I hope you guys hike all of it because it does sound cool!
@Kellsbella – Thanks for the warning about heels! I will take those out of my pack now. There aren’t as many people or shelters on the Colorado trail, and I’m sure the bears eat all the rats. I’m not going to carry 20 lbs of booze, I will make the dog carry it. He has a pack too, and can hunt for his food and make room for my bottles of comfort
@angys_coco – I’m not sure how it will go, but I will keep you posted!
@karoline1982 – I’m not in the best shape myself, so who knows how far I can make it! I will let you know how it goes and maybe you can try it yourself!
I think this would be so much fun to hike and camp and of course, take a camera along.
I want to do the Appalachian Trail as well. I didn’t even know the Colorado Trail existed, but it looks really fun!
When I was young, I liked hiking and walking and doing all the fun things I read about here. I hope you get to do a lot of fun things this summer and for all the summers of your life. Be safe.
@ZSA_MD – thank you! I hope all summers allow this type of fun!
@WaitingToShrug – Thanks! I hope so, but will keep you posted
@Grannys_Place – I will take as many pictures as batteries will allow! Thank you, I will keep you posted about how fun it turns out to be.
just thinkin about this makes all four of my paws ache like a SOB.
That sounds like an amazing idea
If you hike the Appalachian Trail and pass through PA, You’ll be in my neck of the woods (Delaware Water Gap). It’s only a 15-20 minute drive for me 
Sounds ambitious and amazing at the same time. I can only begin to imagine how thrilled you both must be. We will hope the bears have far other more important things to do while you are there. Truly looking forward to the blog when you return. I may no longer be able to hike, but I can live it vicariously through others. *smile…
@NewDog2 - You can have a paw massage!
@xdeelynnx - I was up in your area last summer! I loved northern PA, it was beautiful!
@MzSilver - Thank you! Sometimes my ambition outweighs my common sense, so it’s a good thing I have luck on my side!